Learning Resources

Abstract: For many years, the focus in higher education has been higher, more, and better. Higher rankings. More programs. Better services. And while these aims can be worthwhile, moments of vulnerability (like the one we're in now) are opportunities to rethink how we go about our work, reconnect to its meaning, and reimagine higher education's place in the world. What if, instead of going higher, what's needed is for us to go deeper?

Hawaiian ways of being and knowing acknowledge the power of going deeper—deeper into our relationships, deeper within our communities, deeper connections with the land. In particular, the power of place recognizes the importance of our surroundings, the people within them, and the interconnectedness of the two. It helps us remember fundamental truths about living in balance with our ecosystems and those we share them with.

In this keynote, Alapaki Nahale-a, a leader in Hawaiian community-building efforts, will share indigenous Hawaiian understandings and insights that can give you a new lens on integrated planning and higher education's role in the world. In particular, he'll share how connecting more deeply—to place and to each other—can be a source of meaning and strength for each of us, regardless of where our "place" is. Let Hawaii and the essence of who we are inspire you to embrace integrated planning as a way to unite us in purpose and action for the greater good.

Abstract: Southeast Community College (SCC) applied an integrated framework approach to inform all aspects of its successful comprehensive accreditation review. Following decades of reviews leading to monitoring and focused visits to address opportunities for improvement, SCC managed its most recent comprehensive assessment through integrated planning to ensure the accreditation process coincided with building relationships, aligning divisions and departments, and promoting a culture that is well prepared for change. This structured and focused integrated planning method for comprehensive accreditation review was associated with a successful outcome that involved no monitoring or required follow-up for the first time in the College’s accreditation history.

Abstract: Integrated planning prepares your institution for change by ensuring its decisions are informed by realities in the external environment.

What are key movements and trends within higher education? From addressing pandemic learning loss to grappling with generative AI in the classroom, learn the forces and changes directly impacting higher education, now and in the future.

This issue curates and summarizes 40-50 trends happening inside the world of higher education that could impact colleges and universities. Each trend includes a brief summary, a footnoted source, and discussion questions to help you analyze and act on the trend.

Abstract: Implementing changes at institutions that operate under a distributive leadership model can be challenging because academic and support units are siloed. This article presents an example of one midsize, public, research institution’s successful strategy for “catching,” or identifying and managing, substantive changes using integrated planning. Through a centralized team of academic and support unit representatives, the academic units shared planned substantive changes, received feedback, and adjusted. The institution’s substantive change policy, infrastructure, and collaborative culture ensured the changes did not slip through the cracks or hit significant roadblocks. This article shares how the team operated, giving recommendations for institutions implementing the change practice.

Abstract: The value of collaborative planning is in the process and the outcome. An intentional, co-creation design improves your odds of developing a meaningful plan—a plan of action and impact. By leveraging connection and collective cognition, more voices are engaged, diverse viewpoints and ideas are collected, and shared understanding is fostered. This leads to enhanced plan quality and ownership of the direction and action. The article explores the benefits of collaborative planning, the amplification of social capital, and the application of a design framework and tools for purpose-driven collaboration.

Abstract: Georgia College & State University, a public liberal arts institution, began an integrated,
collaborative, and future-focused strategic planning process during a time of uncertainty (COVID-19, enrollment declines, financial shortfalls, etc.). This planning included shared leadership across campus to develop and implement the plan, data-informed decision-making by a diverse group of steering committee members representing all areas of campus, visits to strategically identified aspirant universities, and ongoing stakeholder engagement that included student input. These strategies leveraged the inherent qualities of a liberal arts institution while addressing the challenges and opportunities that exist in public higher education.